Network Penetration Testing Services

A network penetration test is a planned security check that looks for and tries to use weaknesses in your company’s network. The goal is to see how well your security stops unauthorized access, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and data breaches.

Unlike automated scans that just find known problems, penetration testing shows if attackers could actually use those weaknesses. This gives leaders a clearer view of real business risks and helps them focus on fixing the most serious issues first.

Network penetration testing can cover internet-facing systems, internal networks, cloud setups, remote access, wireless networks, and other parts of your IT environment, depending on what you need.

Our network penetration testing team use advanced tools to simulate attacks, helping you test your IT security controls and protect your important assets. The following are types of network penetration tests that our team of experts can perform:

• Internal Network Penetration Test: We simulate an attack from within your organization to find vulnerabilities that insiders or compromised devices might exploit. This helps you assess your internal network’s security and implement the controls needed to protect sensitive information.
• External Network Penetration Test: We test your business’s external IT network, including firewalls, VPNs, and servers, by simulating real-world external attacks. This helps us identify potential entry points and vulnerabilities that external attackers could exploit.
• Cloud Penetration Test: Our cloud penetration testing services secure your cloud environments against threats. We specialize in various cloud platforms to identify vulnerabilities and enhance security.

Cybercriminals usually don’t just use one weakness. They often combine several vulnerabilities to break in, gain more access, move around your network, and steal sensitive data.

Many attacks start with things like open remote access, weak passwords, outdated systems, too many permissions, poor network separation, or misconfigured setups. A network penetration test checks if these issues could be combined to put your business systems at risk.

Independent testing also provides valuable evidence that security controls are functioning as intended, helping businesses strengthen cybersecurity governance, improve resilience, and demonstrate due diligence to customers, auditors, insurers, and regulators.

Every penetration test engagement begins with understanding your business objectives, network architecture, critical assets, compliance requirements, and testing goals.

Our team evaluate network devices, firewalls, routers, VPNs, switches, servers, Active Directory, identity management, cloud connectivity, remote access technologies, authentication controls, segmentation, wireless infrastructure, and supporting security technologies.

Testing combines automated vulnerability discovery with extensive manual validation. Our penetration testers actively attempt to exploit identified weaknesses, evaluate privilege escalation opportunities, test lateral movement, validate segmentation controls, and determine the potential business impact of successful attacks.

Following the engagement, clients receive a detailed report containing executive summaries, technical findings, risk ratings, proof-of-concept evidence where appropriate, remediation recommendations, and strategic guidance for improving network security over time.

• Black Box Penetration Test: Simulates an attack by an uninformed outsider, providing a realistic assessment of your network defenses.
• Gray Box Penetration Test: This test combines partial knowledge of your network with efficient security assessments, balancing the benefits of black and white box testing.
• White Box Penetration Test: This test involves complete knowledge of your network to identify deep-rooted vulnerabilities and assess internal security controls.
• Authenticated Penetration Test: Uses valid user credentials to assess security from the perspective of an authenticated user, identifying vulnerabilities from malicious insiders or attackers with stolen credentials.
• Red Team Penetration Test: Simulates an attack by an outsider, providing a comprehensive evaluation of your security defenses and incident response capabilities

Most businesses gain value from checking both their external and internal security risks.

External network penetration testing focuses on internet-facing systems such as firewalls, VPN gateways, web servers, cloud services, and publicly accessible infrastructure. The objective is to determine whether an attacker operating from outside the company can gain unauthorized access.

Internal network penetration testing assumes an attacker has already gained access to the business environment through phishing, stolen credentials, a compromised workstation, or another initial access method. Testing evaluates how effectively internal security controls prevent privilege escalation, lateral movement, and access to sensitive information.

Performing both pen tests provides a more complete understanding of your overall cybersecurity posture.

We follow a systematic approach to ensure a thorough and effective penetration testing engagement:

1. Planning and Scoping: Our first step is to collaborate closely with your team to understand your unique requirements, goals, and specific areas of concern. We define the scope of the engagement, including the systems, applications, networks, and assets.
2. Reconnaissance and Information Gathering: Using passive and active techniques, we gather information about your organization’s digital footprint, identifying potential entry points and attack vectors that malicious actors could exploit.
3. Vulnerability Assessment: We assess your infrastructure, systems, and applications to identify exploitable vulnerabilities. These tests include both automated scanning and manual testing by our experienced security professionals.
4. Exploitation and Penetration: Our skilled penetration testers leverage their expertise and knowledge to attempt attack vectors and exploit identified vulnerabilities. We simulate real-world scenarios to determine how much your systems are susceptible to compromise.
5. Post-Exploitation and Privilege Escalation: If we successfully penetrate your systems, we aim to escalate privileges to assess the potential impact of a successful attack. This step helps identify vulnerabilities in your privilege management and access controls.
6. Reporting and Recommendations: Following the testing phase, we provide you with a comprehensive report that outlines our findings, including detailed descriptions of vulnerabilities, their severity, and potential impact. We prioritize the identified risks and offer clear, actionable recommendations to remediate the vulnerabilities and strengthen the security posture.

Many cybersecurity frameworks recommend or require independent penetration testing as part of a mature security program.

Regular penetration testing supports ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, CMMC, SOC 2, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, and numerous customer security assessment requirements.

Although penetration testing alone does not establish compliance, it provides valuable evidence that security controls are being independently evaluated and continuously improved.

Tanner Security brings together skills in penetration testing, enterprise networking, cloud security, governance, compliance, Active Directory security, and risk management.

Our consultants understand that penetration testing should do more than identify vulnerabilities, it should provide meaningful insight that helps leadership make informed security decisions. Every engagement includes practical remediation guidance, executive reporting, and technical recommendations designed to improve long-term cybersecurity resilience.

Whether your business needs an annual penetration test, compliance support, or a comprehensive evaluation of enterprise network security, our experienced team delivers actionable results that improve security and reduce risk.

You cannot effectively manage cybersecurity risks without understanding how attackers could compromise your environment. An independent Network Penetration Test helps identify exploitable weaknesses, validate security controls, and provide leadership with the information needed to make informed security decisions.

At Tanner Security Consultants, we are the Network Penetration Testing advisors who stand at the forefront of safeguarding your future. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies, dynamic SaaS enterprises, and cherished family-run businesses, we embody cybersecurity prowess. We empower companies with extensive expertise in network penetration testing, new technology, and innovative strategies to fortify their security programs and protect their digital infrastructure.

We guide businesses through complex cybersecurity regulations, offering tailored solutions that meet their specific needs and industry standards. With our innovation and expertise, we aim to be your strategic partner, delivering top-notch solutions to complex issues.

Proper cybersecurity is essential for business success. Our mission is to improve your IT security systems, helping you grow confidently with secure and protected systems.

We guide businesses through complex cybersecurity regulations, offering tailored solutions that meet their specific needs and industry standards. With our innovation and expertise, we aim to be your strategic partner, delivering top-notch solutions to complex issues.

Proper cybersecurity is essential for business success. Our mission is to improve your IT security systems, helping you grow confidently with secure and protected systems.

A Network Vulnerability Assessment identifies known security weaknesses across your network infrastructure by comparing systems against databases of known vulnerabilities and security best practices. It provides broad visibility into potential issues but does not determine whether they can be exploited.

A Network Penetration Test goes a step further by safely attempting to exploit identified weaknesses using the same techniques real-world attackers use. Rather than simply reporting vulnerabilities, penetration testing demonstrates how those weaknesses could be combined to gain unauthorized access, escalate privileges, move laterally across the network, or compromise sensitive data.

A useful analogy is to compare a vulnerability assessment to identifying unlocked doors and open windows during a security inspection, while a penetration test attempts to enter the building through those openings to determine whether they truly expose the business to risk.

Many companies perform both services because they provide complementary insights. A vulnerability assessment helps identify potential weaknesses across the environment, while penetration testing validates which weaknesses present the greatest real-world risk. Together, they provide leadership with the information needed to prioritize remediation efforts, improve security controls, and strengthen overall cyber resilience.